Which emollient to use?

[mamasunshine]

My ds 2.3 suffers with very bad eczema. We started using emulsifying ointment at 1st but he started reacting badly to it. Then we tried Aveeno which didn't seem to be working. So we changed again to Epaderm.

Last weekend we ran out of Epaderm, we were away from home and due to not getting the prescription til the Monday we had to use Aveeno on him on Fri, Sat, Sun. Ds slept through those nights and they were the 1st days we didn't have to put eumovate on him in a very long time. Monday prescription was picked up so re-started the Epaderm Mon pm. Mon and Tues nights lots of itching, have had to use eumovate and antihistimines as he was up crying/itching each night ....

....so I have only just put it together and figured that it's obviously the Epaderm that is making him itch (clogging his skin/getting hot with it in bed etc). However, he was really complaining when I was applying the Aveeno, saying that it was stinging/hurting.

So any other suggestions? I was thinking maybe diprobase? Or has anyone had any luck using a natural cream?

I'm gutted I didn't think of it earlier, knowing that he's going to have a tough night tonight.

We went through e45 ; aqueous ; double base ; ' diprobase ' 50/50 ; eumovate and then beclomethasone - then stoppped everything and the eczema got better. Definitely was reacting to the creams - if you read the labels they often quote ' red, itchy, irritation etc' as side -effect s which seems bonkers. Not advising stopping the emollients unless you want to but definitely try a range.

I swear by e45 the emollient bath oil and the wash...I'd tried a few aqueous and olatium ect but e45 was the best I've used....:)

I think it varies person to person.

Doublebase has been best thing for ds. I forget he has it know though I am soon reminded if we forget to use cream for a few days.

It's trial and error unfortunately.

If you can bear it, not using anything for a little while every so often just to check how their skin is doing isn't a bad idea. DD's ezema is thankfully very mild and we've found in the summer we can get away with just the oilatum bath stuff, whereas in winter she needs the whole shebang.

We found cetraben the best emollient cream & stopped using the oils in the bath. Have now moved to e45 & find it good as sinks into skin rather than greasy layer on top.

As LaWeasel says, it is sadly a case of trial and error as every child is different. I personally wouldn't recommend E45 or Oilatum and definitely not aqueous cream as this should NOT be used as a moisturiser, only a soap-replacement (and not a very good one at that!). I also wouldn't recommend Epaderm as a moisturiser although it's quite good as a soap replacement. We use Hydrous and 50/50 or Diprobase. In the bath we use Dermol as it's antimicrobial and DS gets lots of skin infections due to severity of eczema. We find Dermol great but I know of other kids who react to it so it really does depend on the child.

Thank you for all of the replies! I've bought some diprobase today to try before getting it on prescription next time. We've just stopped using oilatum and instead are using oats. However, he does get a lot of infections so may see about the Dermol. We're seeing the dermatologist on Tues for the 1st time...it has been a long wait! His eczema is severe, head to toe now apart from his face (it's up to his jaw line, in his ears and on forehead) We're seeing a nutritionist, herbalist/homeopath, nutritional therapist and osteopath, as well as the peadiatrician...and still no better It's really hard going isn't it!

You're so right mamasunshine it's definitely hard going! Watching your child suffer with eczema is a truly horrible thing :( Fingers crossed for your appt with dermatologist. For us, that was the turning point so I hope it's the same for you.

A paediatric dermatologist said to me to use lighter emollients (e.g. double base) in summer and save greasier, heavier ones (e.g. epaderm) for winter.

Well we saw the dermatologist this morning (at long last!) Basically we are to continue as we have been, but with a change of creams. As ds is not liking the diprobase, she has prescribed balneum plus cream for his emollient, she's also given us testers to try (if we don't get on with the balneum) of hydromol ointment, epaderm cream, aquamol and doublebase. Then a strong steroid to use, Elocon ointment for up to 2 weeks to clear the eczema initially. Also now have dermol 600 for the bath.

So i'm a bit confused now as I was trying to stay away from the steroids as his eczema is not bothering him as much. And the herbalist.homeopath said we were suppressing the eczema with the steroids so it's going to get worse with steroid use?! But he hasn't given me an alternative as of yet? Thinking accupuncture? Oh I don't know whether to just go with the strong steroid to clear it and then carry on with the more natural therapies once it's 'under control'?

What is your specific concern with short-term steroid use?

I'm concerned as we've had to use steroids 2 x a day for months, almost 1 year really with very little break. Recent months we've been only managing 1 or 2 days break each month or so. I'm not really sure of the long term effects on ds's skin/health, but the concern is if his body gets so use to steroids then they will get stronger and stronger? Then what?

But now I'm finally 'getting it', that if we hit it hard with a potent steroid then the aim is to keep it under control with the moisturising. I think the problem has been that the steroid hasn't been strong enough for him, so we've been using a moderate one for too long. Hopefully with this strong steroid we'll get to that 'control' stage which we haven't had yet.

What has made it all the more worrying is peoples faces when I say how much of what we are using, i.e. GP and pharmacist, even the dermatologist was at us today saying that is rather a lot! Makes me feel that I'm doing a terrible job really even though I try and do my best.

I've read a lot on here about there 1st dermatologist app being the turning point, so finger's crossed!